The credentials committee at the Idaho Republican Party state convention has voted overwhelmingly not to seat the Ada County delegation, including alternates, according to Melissa Davlin of Idaho Reports, who’s there reporting. The vote followed a long debate that started this morning, broke for lunch, and started back up again this afternoon; there’s been lots of tense arguing and feelings are running high. The decision disqualifies a sixth of the delegates at the convention. The same committee earlier voted to dump the delegations from Bannock and Power counties, as well.

State Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, tried to negotiate a compromise on the Ada County delegation, to seat all but seven of the members and designate a mixed group of alternates, and he’d gotten buy-in from both sides, but the credentials committee rejected it. Among those arguing against seating the Ada delegates was unsuccessful GOP 2nd District congressional candidate Bryan Smith, who sharply questioned Ada County GOP Chairman Fred Tilman about the issue.